Knitting Olympics and look coffee!!!

Well I gave in when I said I wasn't going to do the knitting olympics. I wasn't going to because I didn't want to start anything else, because I am running out of needle cables. But then I saw on ravelry that you can work on your WIPs so they get done, and lessen the amount of them. After I saw that I knew I was doomed, since I have like 10 WIPs (not all in ravlery, I don't need to be reminded every time I look at my projects, which right now isn't much, stupid internet).



So, I am going to be doing my Hybrid Sweater, Wing-of-Moth shawl, and my vineland socks. I figured that the places they are all in that it would be enough for me to work on. Well, maybe not. I have 2 weeks to finish a sweater that is just about done, I just started the other shoulder, and so all I have to do on that is knit the rest of the shoulder, then the collar, then cast off and sew in all of the ends.


The shawl has more then half of the first chart done, and then I think I have maybe 2 charts left, and the pattern isn't super complicated. And then the socks just need a heel each (I do my socks 2 at a time, toe up, on magic loop, well when I can) and then a leg and cast off, and weave in ends.

And ok, this internet thing is really killing me. I want to look at ravelry and talk to all of my knitting and non knitting friends on skype and all of those aim and internet sites. However, out internet is still down, and I have another maybe 3 days of having to find free wifi. And so sitting here in Orchard Valley with my laptop out, headphones in, cell phone, sunglasses, coffee and knitting out, I get many looks. But they just don't get it. And I use my phone for pictures because I don't want to bring my big camera with me, and besides I have bluetooth on both the phone and m computer, so I might as well use it.

I have to get back to my olympic knitting, but what happens if I finish all of my projects (yeah right)?

Where the internet sucks!

The Internet is so screwed up at my house we don't know what to do. I'm in a local cafe, and thankfully they have free wifi. And so I will be here for a few days, since there really is no other option, since like I said I have no Internet. And so i sit here with my coffee and my knitting.

I was in my local yarn shop earlier, talking to the knitters I work with. They are such a great shop to visit, so warm and inviting, not to mention their yarns are to dye for!

My hybrid sweater is going very well! I finished the sleeves and they are attached to the body right now, and so now all i have to do is finish the decreasing, the saddles (I think that is what they are called) and then knit the neck and sew in the ends!



I really want to cast on these socks that I'm designing but I am being good, and being monogamous knitter, and want to get this knit up. Then I have to finish my pair of socks on the needles.

Good luck to all in the Knitting Olympics!!!

Until next time, when I have internet connection again!

Moths!

Not real moths, you can put the pesticide down, or lavender if you're like me and don't like or can't stand strong chemicals.

No I meant this moth



This is the beginning, well about 10 repeats in the Wing-of-Moth shawl, which I have not worked on for a long time. I decided I wanted something complicated to get me distracted from things in life. It did help, though starting this a while ago, I remember it was at least 2 attempts. However, I do like the pattern, it's a beautiful pattern, and I really like how it's turning out. Those lines are life lines, and will be taken out when I'm done with the shawl. I have not needed to rip out to a life line, but I don't want to take any chances.

The Hybrid Sweater is going well, I am getting a little tired of the monotonous stockinette in the round. I want to make a sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman, and so I will make one even if I end up in a straight jacket babbling about knitting all of those infernal stitches.

Now I want to start another project, or design another sock pattern to be available for sale in my etsy shop, once it's knit, and test knit of course. Hmmm........well back to my knitting.

What have I done?

Bold for stuff you've done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up)
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino/modular knitting
Shadow/illusion knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Knitting with your own hand-dyed yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable/aran stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit/crochet
American/English style knitting (throwing)
Continental style knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Felting/fulling
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public
Met knitterati/famous knitters

Actual content to blog about!

It's amazing that I actually have stuff to blog about, I suppose I will be blogging more, especially when I'm should be doing something else. *Undyed yarn gives me a look*

I went to visit a LYS called Purlescense, here and they are fabulous! They are the only spinning store in the area, besides the one in san francisco, which takes to long to get to. I had a question on how to spin cotton top, and so a fellow spinner there showed me how and now I love it! I also bought a sheep to shoe kit (yes they carry blue moon) and a hand dyed silk hankie.

The infernal Urban Aran Cardigan is DONE!!!!!! The button band works, and the buttons are amazing, below are some shots of it. The photographer said the one taken from the back looks really good, what do you all think of the cardigan, and the pic for that matter?



Here's a front picture. Believe me getting the fronts to the right number of stitches was a little more tricky then i thought it would be. Though the slip stitches helped for the button band pick up.




And here's the infamous back picture (which the photographer said that people would flock here to see). I don't know about that but it does look good I suppose.




And then, here is the Elisabeth ZImmerman Hybrid Sweater in progress. Which is made in Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Worsted.




Is anyone interested in learning how to spin cotton or spin in general? Let me know, I might just make a video hehe.

Till next time, when the cotton isn't pulling me into spin hehe.

When Sleep is over-rated

I haven't blogged in a long time, and there is really really good reason for this. ............or is there a reason more then being lazy? No, I had to finish High School, get good grades, pass my American Citizens Knowledge Test (which I promptly forgot a lot of things), graduate, and let my brain reform after turning into a pile of goo, which was stored in a bottle on my self. It's back in my head and now I am back and ready to blog.

I have had a lot of new projects, finished objects and lots of new yarn.

I finished my plain STR socks, in colorway.....no idea since I lost the ball band. Maybe that's what I'll call the ones I don't know, NISILTBB!!!! Anyways, they are pretty, comfy and I can't wait for the cold weather again.

I also finished my Urban Aran Cardigan, well the knitting portion. I originally wanted to do the zippered version that Brooklyn Tweed did. However, the sewing machine we have is quite old and set in it's ways. I didn't want to sew in a zipper on a sweater knit in bulky yarn on size 10 needles. So to thwart me it made a tangle and mess, which I promptly swore at and ripped the mess apart, and got everything back in order.

After this I decided to knit a button band, after I already knit the collar with shaping, which Elizabeth Zimmerman would be proud of, (I have been on a EZ fix lately but more of that later). So now all i need is 7, yes that's right 7 buttons.

In Macek Designs news, business is now picking up quite a bit. I have now, count them, 4 distributers of my yarn, my etsy shop , The Knitting Room in San Jose , Wool Girl and finally Green Planet Yarns . Which btw is an amazing store, great people, great yarn, and they rock. I am currently on a waiting list for dying, which is strange cause that rarely happens, only if I'm super busy, lots of orders, or I have a huge one to complete, or a combination of the three.

After watching EZ's DVDs I just had to make something she designed. I knew I wanted a sweater but wasn't sure, so I decided on the Hybrid Sweater knit in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted on size 8s. So far it's going well and the math is correct, I hope. I have never knit with this yarn before but I like it, and it's strange since normally I don't like single ply yarns.

Spinning wise, my wheel hasn't seen much action but will be, especially with what I'm spinning up for my LYS.

Sorry about the long post, just wanted to catch up whoever reads this, (or it could be the expresso, my guess is that is more likely). And there will be pics following.

Socks, Sock yarn, and cutting hats!

Originally I was going to show pictures of these two pairs of gorgeous socks I'm knitting, but I'm being lazy and not taking pictures of them. I didn't want to pull out all of the equipment I use to take pictures for just 2 pictures. I'll post pictures of them when I have more things to photograph.


I am spinning sock yarn for my etsy store. Not like I don't have enough stuff to do. This is some roving I bought recently at Stitches West, and this was just a test spin. There is a little more color then the picture shows. It's really nice stuff, 384 yards total of 100% wool, in a heavy fingering weight. Available here if you're interested http://www.macekdesigns.etsy.com. I'm hoping to finish up this large dyed order, so I can dye some more sock yarn for the site. *fingers crossed*

I also knitted the Half-Pipe Hat from the book Son of Stitch and Bitch. I knit it with 2 strands of Hill Country Yarns Merino 280 held together. It knit up pretty quickly, but I knit it to the patterns recommended length. Unfortunately, it didn't go far enough over my head. It came to just above my ears, and I was kinda pissed at this thing. So I decided I needed to add some length to this thing. I threaded my darning needle with some contrasting wool, and put in 2 life lines, and cut the hat. Yes you read that right cut the hat. I then picked up the stitches on the bottom portion of the hat, and knit until there was 2.5" of plain stockinette stitch, then kitchenered the top and bottom together. Sounds scary, but after steeking my sweater, nothing is scary. If you want me to show you how to add length to a already finished knit item, let me know.

My wheel is now being worked, I'm finishing up the 4 out of 16 ounces of CMF roving for them. It's really pretty, a dream to spin, and the dye job is just wonderful.

Hopefully I will have pictures of the hat (when I can get up the nerve to take a pic of me with it on), the two socks, and a new sock pattern that I will be working on shortly.

Till next time.

I hear....I hear......Pomp and Circumstance?!?

School has been really.....well......interesting. Did I mention I'm graduating in less then 3 months?!? Gaaahhh!!!!!

I got back last week from a band trip where we competed in Fresno, and then went down to Hollywood to see the musical Wicked!
The show was amazing, and I had to have the music. I'm actually listening to it right now. If you have not seen it already, whenever you get the chance to, go see it! It gives you a whole new perspective to the story, I know that I will never look at the "Wicked Witch" and G(a)linda the same ever again. I saw the production at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The cast was phenomenal and Caissie Levy who played Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) has the most amazing voice.

In the news of knitting I finished my argyle socks! I finished them the day of Stitches west!

I wore them the whole day at stitches west, and Lisa Souza liked them. I still want to be in the Stitches West next year, but I am only one person. I don't know if I can come up with that fee, and I'm not sure I can get all of that yarn. Oh well, I guess that's just a goal I am going to have to work up to.

I was suprised that I didn't get swarmed with people asking about the Hardangervidda, but I'm kinda glad since I wanted to shop, which believe me, I did plenty of.



That would be my new Lendrum Folding Wheel. I love it so much, a nicer wheel then the Joy I had. Don't get me wrong I loved the Joy, but it just didn't fit my needs anymore.

Anyone interested in a Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine? I have one and I'm putting it up for sale, it has a new heavy duty hem and a short hem. The original hem is well, dead. Let me know through email if you are interested.



Last bit of news, I ordered the pattern book for this sweater (picture borrowed from brooklyntweed).
I don't know what it is about this pattern, I just think that it would be a fun knit and a nice cozy sweater. I just need to decide what yarn and color to make it in.

Till next time.
P.S. Does anyone actually read this?

I'm not dead, I just caught the bug!

I mean the Argyle Sock Bug, not like the flu but it kinda spreads and infects you like the flu. So after I saw the Yarn Harlots argyles I knew I had to make them. Though I didn't have any solid colored fingering weight, but then I got an order from Wool Girl, and so more undyed yarn came in. And I just had to test out the new base yarn, so I dyed it up, and started knitting.

But the yarn didn't dry fast enough, so I put it on the heating vent so that I could knit with it sooner.

I finished one of the two, and the other is in the charted section.




Then I finally sewed in the ends of the Convertibles and sewed in the buttons. They're knit in my own Deathly Hallows: Revival Stone. They are now off to another part of the country.



I also got hooked into lace. My Wing of Moth Shawl so far.



Then I got hooked (literally) into the bath puffs of doom!!! I swear these things are addictive, and really easy.




And on a sadder note, I sold something....



I'm sad to see it go, but it just wasn't fitting my needs anymore. Still it will be missed, and it was such a wonderful wheel to work with.

But on a happier note Stitches West is coming up this week!!!!!!!!! I will be there saturday right when they open, and probably leave when they close. I just can't get enough of this yarny goodness I guess. I will be buying at wheel there to replace the lack of one here. If you see a boy sitting at the Carolina Homespun booth spinning, you know it's me. Or if you see the Hardangervidda walking around, then you've found me too.

Curse you sock knitting machines!!! I want one now. Anyone have one they're willing to part with that works well and has many accessories? Let me know! I would love to do a cash and item trade for one.

I will try to post more!

P.S. Christmas was hit. The sweater and afghan were loved by the recipients.

Wow, I'm either extrememly lazy, or overworked

I'm going to go with both. I have not blogged for a long time. School is trying to kill me, but I've got it under control now. I have other reasons for not blogging, but I won't get into those.

Must disrtract you with knitting pics of the FINISHED!! Hardangervidda Sweater!

Front:



Back:




And now I'm off to do more Holiday Knitting. Gasp!

School is trying to kill me......and ooo! sock club

I haven't bloged for a while, it's not that I did want to. Ok, that's a lie, I sorta didn't want to, but I didn't have much time either. This post will be more word oriented today.

I have finished both sleeves of my hardangervidda sweater *does happy dance*. Now all that's left is the steeking *gasp* sewing in the sleeves, the thing to cover the steeks, knit the collar and plackets, sew on a zipper, sew in the ends. It may seem like a lot to do, but it's going to be a hell of a lot faster than knitting the body's chart.

I have also been dyeing up a storm, well, not as much as Yarn Pirate (her shipment for the sock club shipped today, I'm soooo freaking excited!), but I do try to keep a good stock. This is a big order for me, the recipient won't be announced untill they announce it.

But after that, I will be posting a sock yarn club on my etsy store, www.macekdesigns.etsy.com . There will be some 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, and some merino tencel. I'm not sure on what the 3rd skein will be though. Any ideas? I have some soft alpaca, merino, and silk sock yarn, but I might just sell that individually.

Oh, and I've been making some beaded Christmas Ornament covers. Those take forever....but they're gorgeous, I'll post pics later, when I have more than 1 finished.

I've been spinning some baby camel for CMF, it's sooo pretty, soft and warm!

And now, the Christmas knitting list, you knew this was comming....

1. The wicked sweater for my cousin, knit out of swish superwash (finished except for the ends that need to be sewn in)
2. Perpendicular squares afghan from Cables Untangled, for my other cousin
3. Gauntlets for my mom
4. A sweater for my mom
5. Socks for my mom
Non knitting stuff
6. Embroidered picture for my dad (he bought the kit with intentions to make it, but he decided that I should do it)
7. Christmas ornaments, the beaded ones, for my grandparents, aunts and uncles, 4 ornaments total

It's ambiotus, it's daring, it's kinda nuts, but that's ok.

Finally, if you are in CA near San Jose, there is a craft show at the campbell heritage theatre, it's in another part of the complex. I will be participating in that on November 10th, if you have that day open, and live close enough please stop by and visit me!

Thanks for enduring all of the text, I promise I will post the next one with pics!

P.S. I really don't want to steek my sweater, even though that's why I wanted and started it. But maybe I'll either have someone else help me, or just suck it up and do it myself. Any suggestions if i do it myself?

Yay! Yarn Stuff, and my sweater dilema....and sock clubs oh my!

Ok I finally got a title, and now for pics......



This is a recent order for a local yarn shop. The owners are such nice people! I really like being there, the men's knitting group meets every wensday, and you can usually always find me there. Unless school is trying to kill me.

Hardangervidda update:

I'm on the first sleeve and I noticed that I'm running out of yarn. I had 5 balls left of the main color when I finished the body. I though that would be plenty for 2 sleeves and the collor and such. WRONG!!!! I had to buy 3 more skeins of the main color, and one more of the CC 1. Makes me mad! Here's the body, showing off my amazing skill, and you can even see my hands, and one of my arms. LOL... but I digress.




And I knit during my classes. Of course, if the teacher doesn't mind. Most don't apparently, as long as you pay attention.



It's made of Crystal Palace Panda Cotton. I'm too freaking lazy to go and find out the colorway name/#.

And then I added a few things to my etsy shop. www.macekdesigns.etsy.com









Go! Look! Drool!

I'm also now in the yarn pirate booty club. Sigh, as if I need more yarn!

Oh and I have some new ideas for my shop. Comming soon. Maybe even a sock club?

First off I need to get this out of the way. I can't believe that people actually read my non existant blog. Now that said, I have a lot to catch up on.

Now, I entered the Hill Country Yarns Sock Pattern Contest, and I can't believe I won the either. I wonder if they were suprised that a guy was entering such a lacey pattern. But I did get the yarn, and I think I might make the rougue sweater, or maybe something else who knows. And then some falkes socks. I haven't decided yet.

Next order of business, I have been dying up yarn for a little while and while I don't think this is official yet, well not to the public at least, I'm going to be dying up some yarn for www.woolgirl.com and it's freaking awsome. Though I'm waiting for my crack dealer, I mean yarn supplier hasn't replied to my application. I need that yarn really soon! Jeez......I might just call them just to find out what the heck is going on.

Next, I'm knitting hardangervidda. Yeah. That sweater right now is a freaking awsome, insane piece of work. But I love how it looks so far, I'll post pics here later. The one on my Ravelry isn't recent.

I've been bad, and not posting here, (stupid attention span) and I've been beading a lot. For my job is now gone, since my employer had to close, it just wasn't working at her location, so I had to get some stuff that I have been coveting for like literally months. I'll post pics of the stuff, and I'll let you all know when it goes up for sale.

More news, my sock yarn is going to be in a local shop! If you go to The Knitting Room, then my sock yarn is going to be there sometime soon (I've been a lazy skeiner and labeler....). Oh well. But best of luck to Ed, one of the owners, for he is going in for some laser sugery in his eye, for he can't see. But if you haven't been to their store, definetly go, they are such nice people. Men's Knitting Group every Wensday (not this week though), pop in and see us all, I'll be there when school isn't trying to kill me, (which I think they're trying really hard, but my knitting is my defense).

Just to let you all know, I do accept custom orders for yarn, and jewelry, and knit stuff, and spun stuff. Let me know..... just thought I'd let you all know.

Till next time! Whenever that is! Back to the sweater!

Phew, after countless months of designing, I have finally finished my Hill Country Yarns Sock contest pattern. But I found that someone else has deisgned a sock with the same exact pattern as mine, and I don't think I can enter my sock which I stared designing way before the other design was made.....I am in a knitting angst! GRRR.......

Okay, so today was bad. I had to take the S.A.T. and it was evil! But I just finished dying some superwash sock yarn! It'll be up soon, when it finishes cooling and drying. So yeah.....

Okay, so far today is not very good, for one the really really pretty Jaywalker socks I was working on don't fit! I was all of the way to the heel and ready to do the little "lets wait to do the heel last" thing, and I though I'd try it on to see if it would fit, and it didn't. It's going to the frogging pile. Then the pack of my chair broke off....haha....yeah....that's really random. Though, I got some really nice 2 ply, I finished spinning. It'll be on my website, which, evidently, I'll be putting up a lot of roving soon, once I get more dye.

Wish me luck! I have a little Macek Designs meeting tommorow. A salon owner wants to cary my jewelry, and so I might be able to get some of my inventory out! And that means more roving and yes, SOCK YARN!!! But it all depends.

www.macekdesigns.etsy.com

Wow, I haven't posted for a while! I even forgot my password and user name! I've been so busy with school, and the musical (I was in the pit orchestra). But now I think I'm going to try to post more regularly. Also I probably will start posting links to some good yarn places, some common, others not so common.

Now that the holiday crazyness is over and my finals are done (which they were done 2 weeks ago, but that is must me being lazy, and brain dead) I will now post a pattern for men's socks! But not tonight though, since I really need to knit stuff for the lime and Violet sock marathon! If you haven't listened to them, then what the heck is wrong with you (unless you don't knit, then your excused).

Ok, I work at this bead store, and my boss recomended that I go to this yarn store (since she knows that I'm a knitter). The store is called Commuknity, and for those of you who haven't heard of it or been there, you are truely missing out. I went there today, just to see what they have. The store is 4000 sq. feet! Not all yarn, but there is a nice selection of yarn that I have never seen before. The employies there are nice and friendly. The yarn, some to die for. I was planning on just looking, but came out spending 100 $. I mean, seriously, I should have known better. Anyway, in the store there is a little nook, (and when I say little I mean like a good sized area) there is a sofa, about 2 chairs and a beautiful fireplace, when you can go knit! I mean, I've never seen a place with this kind of "feature." One of the yarns I purchesed is from a company called Louisa Harding Yarns, Impression. And this stuff is soft, and the colors are beautiful!! I give this store a 5/5 star review! If anyone who works/owns that store, keep up the good work!!!!

I've recently discovered the joys of two up toe up socks. They are really neat! I usually make socks from the cuff down, and get dissapointed about 3/4th the way done, when it doesn't fit! It makes me really sad! But with the two up toe up method, you can try it on as you go, unlike the cuff down method. I'm working on a free pattern with pics, so I'll get those up A.S.A.P.